Target Acquired: Week Nine

Travis May Posted On October 25, 2017

Welcome to another edition of Target Acquired. If you’re new to the series, let me catch you up. Dynasty strategy has many layers to it, but one of the more fun aspects of it all is player research and analysis. And whether you play in devy leagues, “normal” dynasty leagues, or just love college football, it’s a blast to dig into some of the best NFL prospects in the country. This series takes a look every week at a mix of college football players who just bolstered their chances of making it to the pros with a stellar performance.

Some will be names you recognize. Others will be the deepest of sleepers that no one knew until yesterday. Regardless, the point is to tuck these names away as your prepare for all of your drafts, trades, and just-for-fun research in the future.

The draft gets closer every day, and I have my set of “Targets Acquired” for any and every format out there.

Quarterback

Mike White, Western Kentucky

Mike White is not your typical college football success story. He kicked things off with a horrible freshman (partial) season at South Florida throwing three touchdowns and nine interceptions. Then Mike followed that up with another stinker season barely eclipsing 50% accuracy. However, it turns out all he needed was some new scenery. White has put up 49 touchdowns in the last 21 games since joining Western Kentucky. And this past weekend was perhaps the culmination of White’s development as he totaled more than 300 passing yards and five touchdowns against Old Dominion. Mike has a shot at getting drafted in 2018, but it’s still a long one. He just needs to finish strong with that 67% accuracy and he could find himself in a camp next summer.

Running Back

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Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma

Oklahoma football seemed to take a major hit when star running back Abdul Adams went down with an injury against Iowa State. But there’s some good news for Sooners football fans. It’s possible that injury actually helped reveal the best talent in the Oklahoma backfield, Rodney Anderson. Rodney just dropped 147 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime on Kansas State this past weekend. No one should be surprised. As a high school kid this former four-star recruit ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash. He took that legit pro-ready speed around the edge on the aforementioned touchdown run this past week. That probably won’t be the only time Rodney sees the end zone this year or in the years to come. When Abdul Adams is back he’ll see plenty of work, but Rodney should be the future for Oklahoma. Expect to hear his name a lot more in the next couple years.

Patrick Laird, California

Marshawn Lynch was probably the last big time California running back to find relevance at the NFL level. Patrick Laird has a long way to go to really be mentioned in the same breath, but he’s kicked off his first real opportunity this season with a bang. Laird has shown that he can both win as a runner and through the air. He’s already grabbed 26 catches and is on pace for about 1000 yards on the ground too. Patrick’s game against Arizona definitely helped his case in being taken seriously as one of the best running backs in the PAC-12. 172 total yards and two touchdowns looks great in the box score. However, Laird really needs to finish strong this year and next to put his name in the hat for mid-late round draft consideration.

Wide Receiver

David Sills V, West Virginia

Sills was actually initially a top QB recruit coming out of high school, but then converted to WR for West Virginia. It’s a good thing he did. Sills just caught seven passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns this past weekend in an incredible 38-36 victory for West Virginia over Baylor. It would be easy to chalk up a three touchdown performance as some fluke, but not with David Sills. He already had 12 touchdowns in the first six games of the season before this last insane performance. When West Virginia gets in close they go to the monstrous 6’3” 200-something Sills. He isn’t the best route runner and won’t win many battles deep because of his speed, but his body positioning and play for the ball is absolutely incredible. Sills likely won’t leave college early next spring given that he’s only produced for one season, but look for him to end up being a mid-round pick in 2019 if he continues his domination in the red zone.

J’Mon Moore, Missouri

J’Mon not only has a cool name, but also boasts legit pro WR1 size and is on his way to a second consecutive 1000-yard season for Missouri with at least eight touchdowns or so. J’Mon has become Drew Lock’s favorite target in the Missouri passing offense and that trust has blossomed into an incredibly productive partnership. J’Mon just kept on killing any hope Idaho ever had of getting off the field on defense this past week. He finished the game with 11 receptions, 174 yards, and a touchdown. J’Mon has shown the ability to make big splash plays that change the complexion of a game, but if he can find some consistency as a chain mover too thanks to his improved route running NFL scouts are going to have to find a way to get him on their team next spring.

Tight End

Chris Herndon, Miami

Some draft analysts have already been high on Herndon for a while now, but I was hesitant until this past week. Herndon just didn’t have a very large sample size of being a productive starter thanks to David Njoku taking all of the attention last year. However, Herndon just took over the first half of this past week’s game against Syracuse. He finished with ten catches for 96 yards and a score. Syracuse just didn’t have an answer for Herndon’s mix of size, agility, and savvy. Herndon will be drafted next spring, and if he tests as well as some hope it’s possible that an NFL general manager with an itchy trigger finger may reach for him as early as the end of day two.

IDP (Individual Defensive Player)

Joe Ostman, DE/OLB Central Michigan

Antonio Brown isn’t the only good thing to come out of Central Michigan. Joe Ostman, like many other smaller school prospects, doesn’t get much love at all from mainstream media. But now that’s probably all about to change. Ostman just posted four sacks this past weekend against Ball State. That puts his season total up to nine through just eight games. And this wasn’t a fluke. Ostman slashed his way around the edge for eight sacks and 69 total tackles last season, and he is on pace for an even more incredible season this year. This dynamic sack master plays more of a defensive end position for Central Michigan, but could play 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB as a pass-rush specialist at the next level too. My only worry with Joe is that his list weight of 259 pounds might be a little inflated. Some teams may see him as a ”tweener” if he doesn’t prove to be prototypically sized next spring at the NFL Combine. Still, Joe just makes plays. Watch for him to be a riser throughout the draft process.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s Target Acquired. Let me know if you have any questions on any of these guys. If you want me to watch any specific upcoming games closer than others just let me know via Twitter @FF_TravisM. Best of luck to you in all of your fantasy leagues!

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